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Fall is a terrific time for making compost, partly because leaves are a fantastic source of soil enriching nutrients. As you probably plan to remove those leaves from your lawn, recycling them into your compost pile is a win-win proposition.

Leaves need to break down in order to integrate with the other organic matter in your compost heap. Reducing them first can really accelerate the composting process. The difference in composting time between leaves that are dumped whole, and leaves that are well shredded are enormous. Reduce first this fall, and you can have usable compost in the spring!

Shredding the Leaves

The Sharktooth Impeller

There are number of ways to shred leaves. One of the most efficient is using a leaf collector like the DR Leaf and Lawn Vacuum. The DR Leaf and Lawn Vacuum will reduce the leaves you collect twice. The mower blade makes the first pass at them, then the semi-mulched leaves are drawn into the the Leaf Vac’s steel impeller where they are reduced again.

Best of all, those twice-reduced leaves are nicely gathered for you in the collector bin. There’s no awkward raking and bagging, or dragging an overladen tarp across your yard (in a backward-walking, butt-first posture that will keep your chiropractor’s business thriving!).

Just drive to your compost pile and dump. Come back in the spring and you’ll find that with just a little shovelwork to turn and mix the pile, you’ll have beautiful, rich compost to integrate into your garden beds. Your Leaf and Lawn Vac trailer will come in handy again.

Your machines work hard for you. Give them a little love after they’ve been resting all winter and you’ll reap the benefits in their performance over the coming seasons. Remember that the life span of a gas engine is directly related to the routine maintenance performed on it, so to ensure a long life for your power equipment, take the time to give it a spring tune-up.

Those of us with large properties know that spring cleaning isn’t just for the closets and cupboards – it’s for your lawn, too. Winter leaves behind all kinds of debris, from sticks and dead leaves to trash and gravel. So when the weather warms up and it’s the season for working outside, here are 10 great tips for spring lawn clean-up:

1. Wait for dry conditions.

However you clean up your lawn – with a lawn vacuum, rake, or other method – the whole process will be easier and faster if you wait for dry conditions. Moisture makes debris stick together in heavy clumps, making your job harder than it needs to be.

2. Clear large debris first.

If you’re using a DR Leaf and Lawn Vac for cleaning your lawn, you’ll want to clear away anything that’s too large for it to pick up. While pine cones, gum tree balls, nuts, and small sticks will be picked up without a problem, large branches should be cleared away beforehand.

3. Uncover flowerbeds and shrubs.

If you’re raking, be sure to get right up close to trees, shrubs, hedges, and fully clean out flower beds. If using a leaf vac, we recommend the Vacuum Hose, which attaches easily to your machine and allows you to vacuum hard-to-reach spots. Debris left in flowerbeds and around shrubs can stunt growth and foster disease.

4. Tidy hard surfaces.

Walkways, driveways, trails, and other non-lawn surfaces need some spring cleaning, too! Vacuum debris from walkways and trails and rake displaced gravel back on to driveways and roads.

5. Don’t forget window wells!

While you’re vacuuming the lawn, clean out window wells and other nooks and crannies around the house. The result will be better-looking and you won’t worry about mold or other disease festering so close to your foundation.

6. Get rid of thatch build-up.

Thatch is dead grass blades and other small weeds that collect on top of the soil, at the base of the living grass blades. If the build-up gets thick enough, it can choke your lawn by restricting the flow or air and water to the soil. Spring is a perfect time to remove thatch for the summer growing season. Depending on how much thatch build-up you have, a leaf vacuum may be all you need to clear it. For particularly thick build-up, a rake or dethatcher may be required.

Snow mold often appears on your lawn after the winter if leaves or other debris is left on the grass before winter hits. Usually it looks like dry, brown patches of matted dead grass, and may have a pinkish hue. The best way to get rid of it is to gently loosen it with a rake, then vacuum up the dead debris with your lawn vac.

8. Compost it!

After you’ve finished cleaning the lawn, compost the waste material! Once it’s broken down, it will be a great way to improve your soil structure and return vital nutrients to your garden. For larger waste, consider shredding it to a fine mulch with a chipper/shredder. Luckily, if you’ve used the DR Leaf and Lawn Vac, your leftovers will already be shredded to an easy-to-decompose mulch.